It is often said that a handshake says a lot about an individual. If so, does handgrip strength have anything to do with reading this nonverbal cue? A recent study sheds light on the matter by exploring the relationship between handgrip strength and sensation seeking (e.g., BASE jumping).

In a supposed meritocracy such as the military, one might assume that an individual's facial features should not be predictive of the likelihood of attaining the most senior military ranks. It turns out that a military cadet's face carries some weight in determining whether the soldier in question will attain the rank of Colonel or General. It seems that we want our warriors and military leaders to look the part.

An important determinant of individuals' health is their position within the occupational status hierarchy. One might think that higher-status jobs (e.g., corporate lawyer, CEO of a large firm) are inherently more stressful and as such individuals who hold such positions are more likely to succumb to job-related ill effects. A large body of research has found the exact opposite link.

Men constitute the great majority of very high-end art collectors. Since there is no shortage of very wealthy women who are otherwise capable of paying lavish sums for art pieces, why the male bias? It's all about sexual signaling! Hey ladies: I am so wealthy that I can "waste" $140 million on a Jackson Pollock painting. In the immortal words of the Notorious B.I.G., "I love it when you call me big poppa"!

Yes, it's a diamond-studded Mercedes! Bling-Bling taken to new heights. The great majority of brands that are mentioned in song lyrics involve such displays of conspicuous wealth, demonstrating that songs are valuable in investigating the attributes that men and women desire in prospective partners.&nbsp;

One of the greatest obstacles to maintaining a healthy weight is our innate penchant for food variety. For example, if individuals are offered the same amount of candies but in one case all in one color and in the second instance in multiple colors, consumption will be greater in the multicolor condition even though the colorant has no effect on the candies' taste, smell, or texture.

Women exhibit several morphological changes as a function of their menstrual cycles. One such trait is breast symmetry. Read on to find out how this metric varies across the ovulatory cycle. Cryptic ovulation...not quite!&nbsp;

A recent study finds that women constituted 17% of customers who entered a sex shop. Hence, whereas it is certainly true that this remains a male-dominated activity, a significant number of women seem interested in pornographic material and related sexual accoutrements.

A recent study finds that when a dog accompanies individuals, the likelihood of their requests being complied with (e.g., asking for money, asking for a woman's phone number) increases. Yet another reason to love dogs!Announcement: This is my 101st post. My blog has just surpassed 500,000 total views. Thank you readers!&nbsp;&nbsp;

Women prefer men who possess deep voices, as it serves as a good cue of phenotypic quality. If a man's voice is a sexually selected trait then we should expect a link between men's voices and their reproductive success. A recent study set out to test this exact proposition. Ultimately, a dream guy is one who looks like David Beckham and sounds like Barry White.&nbsp;

Not only do athletes' testosterone levels fluctuate as a function of whether they win or lose but also that of their fans is also prone to such rises and drops. The World Cup Final will be played in a few hours. Irrespective of whether you support the Dutch or the Spaniards, prepare to have a strong endocrinological response. Such is the power of sports viewing.

Which of these two options would you choose: (1) You will receive a $500 salary increase, and your colleague will also receive a $500 salary increase; or (2) You will receive a $600 salary increase but your colleague will receive an $800 salary increase. Does the sex of the colleague matter in forming your choice? Read on to find out if your preference aligns with the research findings.

A recent study conducted on congenitally blind men confirms that they too exhibit a preference for the female hourglass figure. It's getting tougher for social constructivists to argue that media images are to blame for supposed "arbitrary" and sexist preferences.&nbsp;

Mothers: Having a rich diet within the preconception stage, as well as consuming cereals will apparently increase your likelihood of having a boy. Consumer behavior meets reproductive medicine! The teaser image could not be more à propos!&nbsp;

There are two ways for humans to be immortal, neither of which requires a belief in a deity. The teaser image captures these two paths, namely genetic propagation and memetic diffusion (shown here as a musical score that might "live" on forever).

A forthcoming paper in Psychological Science finds that the mere viewing of photos of communicable diseases (e.g., an individual sneezing) triggers a concerted immunological response in those exposed to the visual stimulus.

Do women form friendships with same-sex others of roughly equal physical attractiveness (which I hereafter refer to as the Mean Girls effect in honor of the 2004 teenage movie of that name)? See the interesting findings obtained in a recent study published in Human Nature.&nbsp;

It would seem that to be a self-respecting American progressive, you must adopt the affectations of cultural self-hate. According to many "liberal" academics, the United States is to blame for nearly every conceivable global ill that has ever taken place.&nbsp;

Many people succumb to the so-called overconfidence bias, namely, holding a rosy belief of one's abilities. Is this proclivity to be overconfident due to nature, nurture, or both? Not surprisingly, a recent study finds that overconfidence is a product of both our genes and our unique environments.&nbsp;

In my experience, I have found that entrepreneurs commit three classic decision making errors: (1) Build it and they will come; (2) Outlandish overconfidence that does not permit one to learn from incoming information; (3) Selectively focusing on information that supports one's decision whilst ignoring that which disconfirms it. Taken together, these constitute the perfect elements for a bad decision making recipe.

Postmodernism, deconstructionism, cultural relativism, political correctness, and an ethos of collective self-guilt constitute the perfect brew for creating the collapse of Western liberal democracies.

The wedding ring effect refers to the folk belief that married men, who signal their marital status via the wearing of a wedding ring, are construed by women as more desirable. Before you single guys rush out to buy fake wedding bands, read this post!&nbsp;

Hooters is reputed for hiring shapely waitresses who are otherwise scantily clad. You might also recall the infamous Seinfeld episode wherein Elaine is angered by the fact that the restaurant wherein she hangs out seems to have instituted a new hiring policy (big-breasted waitresses). A Cornell professor recently tested the premise that a waitress's breast size might be positively correlated to her tips...it is!